Team W L PCT. GB
Tacoma ..... 37 25 .597 —
Yakima ..... 36 28 .563 2
Tri-City ... 36 29 .554 2½
Wenatchee .. 36 29 .554 2½
Salem ...... 29 33 .468 8
Victoria ... 29 37 .439 10
Spokane .... 28 38 .424 11
Vancouver .. 25 37 .403 12
TACOMA, June 24—Dick Greco's ninth homer of the season and his second of the contest with two mates aboard in the sixth inning broke a 3-0 tie to provide the winning margin as the Tacoma Tigers emerged from a 7-0 losing streak by scoring a 6-4 victory over the Vancouver Capilanos in the first game of a Western International baseball league double-header here tonight.
Greco, whose first homer, coming with the bases empty in the third inning, knotted the count at 2-all, came to the plate in the sixth after Sol Israel and Ronnie Gifford had hit successive singles with two away, and the big outfielder belted the ball far out of the park over the 380-foot mark.
Neither starting pitcher managed to go the distance. Tacoma's Mel Knezovich was derricked with one out in the seventh after yielding a double to Len Tran, a walk and a run-producing single to Dick Sinovic; and Vancouver's Kevin King pulled in the sixth just ahead of Greco's game-winning homer, which was belted off reliefer Bob Breunner.
(First Game— 7 innings)
Vancouver .. 011 100 1—4- 9-0
Tacoma ..... 011 013 x—6-12-0
King, Bruenner (6) and Brenner; Knezovich, Carter (7) and Sheets.
TACOMA, June 24—Outfielder Dick Greco's booming bat hoisted the Tacoma Tigers out of a bad slump tonight here by accounting for the winning margins in both games as the Western International League leaders swept a double-header from the Vancouver Capilanos 6-4 and 3-0.
Greco hit his eighth and ninth homers of the season in the first game, the second circuit smash coming with two mates aboard in the sixth to break a 3-all tie. Coming to bat in the nightcap with the count deadlocked to 0-0 and Sol Israel on second, the big gardner connected for a pop fly down the right field line which went for an inside-the-park homer when Vancouver's Charley Mead failed on an attempted shoestring catch.
Arnold (Red) Fisher accounted for the third Tacoma run in the fifth on another in-the-park homer.
The nightcap saw Tacoma's Bob Kerrigan chalk up his llth pitching victory of the campaign against three defeats. The Tiger left-hander laid one 10-in-a-row to open the season only to drop his next three starts.
Tonight's double-header victory broke a Tacoma losing streak which had reached seven straight and had melted a five and a half game league lead down to a one-game margin over the second place Yakima Bears.
(Second game)
Vancouver .... 000 000 001—0-5-1
Tacoma ....... 000 210 00x—3-5-0
Nicholas and Brenner; Kerrigan and Fischer, Sheets (8).
SALEM, June 24—The Yakima Bears scored three times in the fourth inning to defeat the Salem Senators 3-2 in the first game of a Western International League doubleheader tonight.
The runs came on singles by Reno Cheso, Lou Novikoff, and Jerry Zuvella, and a triple by Mack McCauley.
Salem touched Larry Powell for single tallies in the second and seventh with Bob Cherry and Bill Beard a batting them in.
The Yakima team lost two players via injuries in the game. Second baseman Al Jacinto and center fielder McCauley collided while chasing a pop fly by Cherry in the seventh and had to leave the game.
Jacinto was cut badly over one eye, requiring stitches, and MaCauley was cut about the mouth and suffered a concussion. He was taken to a local hospital.
First Game
Yakima ...... 000 300 000—3-8-2
Salem ....... 010 000 100—2-8-0
Powell and Tornay; Osborn and Beard.
SALEM, June 24—Salem Senator won the second game of a twin-bill, 5-4, tonight, with a three-run rally in the seventh off Dick Larner. Two walks, two singles, another walk and Mel Wasley's fly netted the Salem win in the seventh.
Novikoff and Frank Mascaro accounted for the first two Yakima runs with hits, and an error brought across the third on Zuvella's fly, after hits by Cheso and Westlake got the fourth.
Both Jacinto and McCauley, injured in the first game, were sent to their hotel later, neither of them seriously hurt. McCauley does not not have a concussion, as previously feared. Both may be sidelined for some time with cuts about the face, however.
Second Game
Yakima ..... 003 010 0—4-9-0
Salem ...... 000 002 3—5-5-1
Larner and Tornay; Liska and Beard.
WENATCHEE, June 24—Wenatchee leftfielder Walt Pocekay celebrated the birth of a baby boy to himself and his wife in a big way here tonight.
He slammed a home run, a triple and a double to lead his teammates to a 7-4 victory over the Victoria Athletics.
The game was halted in the eighth inning to notify Pocekay of the baby's birth in Richmond, Calif.
Pocekay smashed a two-run homer in the first, doubled in two runs in the fourth to give his club the league and then led off with a triple in the fifth, when the Chiefs scored five times.
Victoria's leftfielder Gene Thompson was the loser's power at the plate with a double and two singles in four times at bat.
Thompson's first hit caromed off the left leg of Wenatchee starter Dave Dahle, forcing the lefthander from the game.
Jay Ragni came in to relieve and got credit for the victory, his tenth of the year against three losses. Ron Smith went the distance for the losers to get tagged with the loss, his fifth in ten decisions.
Victoria ........ 030 001 000—4- 9-2
Wenatchee ... 202 030 00x—7-14-3
Smith and Ronning; Dahle, Ragni (2) and Spurgeon.
Tri-City at Spokane, rained out.
Braves Purchase Sidearm Pitcher
KENNEWICK, June 25—The Tri-City Braves announced yesterday they had purchased Joe Nicholas, right handed sidearm pitcher from Klamath Falls of the Far West league. Dick Richards, general manager ot the Tri-City team, said the 24-year old player would probably report to the club on Monday.
Richards also announced that Ken Kleasner, who had been pitching for Porterville on option from the Braves, had been transferred to Klamath Falls.
Nicholas won three games and lost none for Austin of the Big State league this year and has a 1-2 record with the Klamath Gems.
ON THE INSIDE
By DON BECKER, Herald Sports Editor
[from the column of June 25/50]
Passing through here Friday afternoon was the president of the Victoria baseball club, 'Johnnie' Johnson. Victoria was the club on the bottom of the league standings June 1, and on top in attendance, So the first question we put to the visiting fireman was how he accounted for this unusual state of affairs.
“The only way I can explain it,” he said, “is that Victoria is just a baseball town. The fans there are rabid. But the oddest part about our top attendence record is that the most rabid of the fans are former soccer, rugby, and cricket players. You'd never figure a dyed-in-the-wool Englishman could get so wrought up over a game as they do about baseball. Another thing that probably helps is that the team is owned by 300 different local people. They, of course, come out every chance they get.”
STAR GAME
Back before the war this Willy league used to play an annual all-star game and lately the subject has been coming up here and there. Bob Johnson, Spokane sportswriter advances an interesting idea on the subject. Taking his cue from the Northern league, Johnson suggests this loop follow their plan of having the team leading the league July 4 play a public-selected star team from the rest of the circuit.
The idea sounded good to us so we put the same general thought over to Johnson, and Dick Richards Tri-City front office boss. Both men were in complete agreement that it was a good idea. Of course the whole thing hinges on how much the paying public wants it. If the fans say so, they'll get it. Not this year, it's too late for that, but it could be started next year. If you like the idea let us hear from you.
A SHOCKER— THAT
While we had the chance we put in a good solid beef about the league and umpire schedule. The answer we got was a hair-raiser to say the least. Johnson said he was going to ask each sportswriter in the league to turn in a proposed schedule for next year. . .and he wasn't kidding, even said they d pay for the one they used.
SOME ATTENDANCE FIGURES
Wenatchee became the first WIL club to pass the 50,000 mark this year. Their Wednesday night twin-bill brought their total to 51,293. We immediately checked the records on attendance here and found that our total through the Victoria series was 33,627, or a difference of 17,666. However, the Chiefs have played a few more games than we have. . .if that's any consolation.
Here are some other interesting facts about attendance at Sanders Field. The biggest single game was the opening night 3,684. But taking the run-of-the-season games, Connell night, June 15, when 2,524 were clocked is the best single game. The June 21 Victoria double-header total of 2,850 was the best twin bill.
The lowest single game draw was 511 on May 25 against Tacoma. And Victoria, holder of the biggest double-header, also has the lowest record. That was on May 18 when only 865 turned out for a pair of games. Note that the low figures all were last month during those cold nights. And also note how the fans began to turn out when the weather warmed up. Everything points to a better, and better season if we can get the right help from the winds, and the rain, and the cold.
“The only way I can explain it,” he said, “is that Victoria is just a baseball town. The fans there are rabid. But the oddest part about our top attendence record is that the most rabid of the fans are former soccer, rugby, and cricket players. You'd never figure a dyed-in-the-wool Englishman could get so wrought up over a game as they do about baseball. Another thing that probably helps is that the team is owned by 300 different local people. They, of course, come out every chance they get.”
STAR GAME
Back before the war this Willy league used to play an annual all-star game and lately the subject has been coming up here and there. Bob Johnson, Spokane sportswriter advances an interesting idea on the subject. Taking his cue from the Northern league, Johnson suggests this loop follow their plan of having the team leading the league July 4 play a public-selected star team from the rest of the circuit.
The idea sounded good to us so we put the same general thought over to Johnson, and Dick Richards Tri-City front office boss. Both men were in complete agreement that it was a good idea. Of course the whole thing hinges on how much the paying public wants it. If the fans say so, they'll get it. Not this year, it's too late for that, but it could be started next year. If you like the idea let us hear from you.
A SHOCKER— THAT
While we had the chance we put in a good solid beef about the league and umpire schedule. The answer we got was a hair-raiser to say the least. Johnson said he was going to ask each sportswriter in the league to turn in a proposed schedule for next year. . .and he wasn't kidding, even said they d pay for the one they used.
SOME ATTENDANCE FIGURES
Wenatchee became the first WIL club to pass the 50,000 mark this year. Their Wednesday night twin-bill brought their total to 51,293. We immediately checked the records on attendance here and found that our total through the Victoria series was 33,627, or a difference of 17,666. However, the Chiefs have played a few more games than we have. . .if that's any consolation.
Here are some other interesting facts about attendance at Sanders Field. The biggest single game was the opening night 3,684. But taking the run-of-the-season games, Connell night, June 15, when 2,524 were clocked is the best single game. The June 21 Victoria double-header total of 2,850 was the best twin bill.
The lowest single game draw was 511 on May 25 against Tacoma. And Victoria, holder of the biggest double-header, also has the lowest record. That was on May 18 when only 865 turned out for a pair of games. Note that the low figures all were last month during those cold nights. And also note how the fans began to turn out when the weather warmed up. Everything points to a better, and better season if we can get the right help from the winds, and the rain, and the cold.
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